Interactive+Word+Walls

By: Sally Olson **  A word wall is a systematically organized collection of words displayed in large letters on a wall or other large display place in the classroom. It is a tool to use, not just display. Word walls are designed to promote group learning and be shared by a classroom of children. Goals ** Guidelines ** Materials: **Tag Board (cut into strips), Markers, and Magnet tape or Velcro tape Summary ** Sally’s Word Wall was used for the 1998-1999 school year in a 2nd grade classroom with 21, 7 and 8 year old students. Pre-tests and post-tests were given to measure improvement. Improvement was noted in students spelling on tests as well as their daily writing. Students also became less dependent on the Word Wall as the year progressed.
 * Interactive Word Wall **
 * 
 * 
 * Support the teaching of important general principles about words and how they work
 * Foster reading and writing
 * Provide reference support for children during their reading and writing
 * Promote independence on the part of young students as they work with words in writing and reading
 * Provide a visual map to help children remember connections between words and the characteristics that will help them form categories
 * Develop a growing core of words that become part of a reading and writing vocabulary
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Add words gradually, five a week
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Make words very accessible by putting them where every student can see them, writing them in big, black letters, and using a variety of background colors so that the most often-confused words (there, their; what, when) are different colors
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Be selective about what words go on the wall, limiting additions to those really common words which children use a lot in writing
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Practice those words by chanting and writing them
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Do a variety of review activities to provide enough practice so that words are read and spelled instantly and automatically
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Make sure that Word Wall words are spelled correctly in any writing students do
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Century Gothic','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">